Planet of Giants
| 009 – Planet of Giants | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor Who serial | |||
 The miniaturised Susan and Ian encounter a normal-sized ant | |||
| Cast | |||
Others
| |||
| Production | |||
| Directed by | Mervyn Pinfield Douglas Camfield (episode 3) | ||
| Written by | Louis Marks | ||
| Script editor | David Whitaker | ||
| Produced by | Verity Lambert Mervyn Pinfield (associate producer, uncredited) | ||
| Executive producer(s) | None | ||
| Production code | J | ||
| Series | Season 2 | ||
| Running time | 3 episodes, 25 minutes each | ||
| First broadcast | 31 October 1964 | ||
| Last broadcast | 14 November 1964 | ||
| Chronology | |||
| |||
Planet of Giants is the first serial of the second season in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in three weekly parts from 31 October to 14 November 1964. The story was the first since An Unearthly Child to be set on a contemporary Earth.[1]
Plot
Following a malfunction on the TARDIS console and the bleating of a klaxon indicating something is amiss, the Doctor insists the fault locator shows nothing is wrong and it is safe to venture outside. He leads his companions Ian, Barbara and Susan to the world beyond and within minutes they find a dead giant earthworm followed by a large deceased ant. They seem to have died immediately. After some deduction the travellers realise they have arrived on Earth but have shrunk in size to about an inch.
Ian is investigating a discarded matchbox when someone picks it up and he is hurled around inside. That someone is a government scientist called Farrow. He is met by a callous industrialist named Forester to tell him that his application for DN6, a new insecticide, has been rejected. In reality DN6 should not be licensed: it is far too deadly to all insect life. When they fall out over this news, Forester shoots Farrow and leaves him for dead on the lawn.
The Doctor, Barbara and Susan hear the gunshot as an enormous explosion, and head for the house. They find Ian unhurt near the dead body and surmise a murder has taken place but can do little about it. They are determined, however, to ensure the murderer is brought to justice despite their microscopic size. While avoiding a cat, the travellers get split up again with Ian and Barbara hiding in a briefcase. The giant Forester returns to the lawn and collects the briefcase, taking it inside to the laboratory. His aide, Smithers, arrives and suspects him of murder, but does not report him for fear of undermining the DN6 project to which he has given his life.
The Doctor and Susan scale a drainpipe to gain access to the house and locate their friends, braving the height as they go. Meanwhile Ian and Barbara examine the laboratory and encounter a giant fly, which is killed instantly when it contacts sample seeds that had been sprayed with DN6. Barbara foolishly touched one seed earlier and soon starts to feel unwell. Nevertheless, attracted by Susan’s voice in the reverberating plughole, the four friends are reunited.
Forester has meanwhile doctored Farrow’s report so as to give DN6 the licence he wants and, disguising his voice as Farrow’s, makes a supportive phonecall to the ministry to the same effect. This is overheard by the local telephone operator, Hilda Rowse, and her policeman husband, Bert, who start to suspect something is wrong.
The Doctor has meanwhile realised the deadly and everlasting nature of DN6 and the probable contamination of Barbara. They try to alert someone by hoisting up the phone receiver with corks, but cannot make themselves heard. Hilda notes the engaged signal, however, and she and Bert become even more concerned. Forester and Smithers return to the lab and correct the engaged handset and then Hilda rings to check things are okay. She rings again moments later and asks for Farrow and, when Forester impersonates him, immediately spots the faked voice and so knows there is something badly wrong. Bert heads off to the house to investigate.
The Doctor and his companions decide to start a fire to attract attention to the house and succeed in setting up an aerosol can of insecticide and a lab bench gas jet as a bomb. This coincides with Smithers discovering the true virulence of DN6 - it's lethal to everything - and demanding Forester stop seeking a licence. Forester spots the makeshift bomb, which goes off in his face. Smithers retrieves the gun as PC Rowse arrives and then places both under arrest.
Their work done, the travellers return to the TARDIS and the Doctor reconfigures the machine to return them to normal size. Barbara, who was on the verge of death, recovers on being returned to full size; the insecticide and seed responsible aboard the TARDIS shrinking to their real microscopic and minuscule sizes.
Production
Template:Doctor Who episode head
An early draft of this story – by C.E. Webber and entitled The Giants – was originally meant to be the first story of the first season.[2]
Episode 4
This story was originally four episodes in length. Upon viewing Episodes 3 and 4, which focused more heavily on Hilda and Bert, Head of Drama Sydney Newman ordered them spliced together in order to form a faster-paced climax (Episode 3) focusing on the core characters of the series. Episode 4 was called "The Urge to Live" and directed by Douglas Camfield (instead of Mervyn Pinfield, who directed Episodes 1-3). When Episodes 3 and 4 were edited together to make the new Episode 3, only Camfield was credited.
The decision to splice the last two episodes into one would have ramifications for the second production block of the series, when the producers were left with a one-episode space following Galaxy 4. Rather than producing a single-episode stand-alone story or extend any of the planned serials, Mission to the Unknown was commissioned to serve as a prelude to The Daleks' Master Plan without the participation of any of the regular cast. This was produced in the same block as Galaxy 4, and both were held over to be the first two serials of Season 3.[3]
The 2012 DVD includes recreations of the original Episodes 3 and 4, based on the original scripts and featuring newly recorded dialogue and animation.[4]
In print
A novelisation of this serial, written by Terrance Dicks, was published by Target Books in January 1990. It was the final serial of the William Hartnell era to be novelised. The novel also reinstated much of the material cut to make the televised serial into three episodes. Template:Doctor Who book
VHS and DVD releases
This serial was released on VHS in 2002; it was the first commercially-released story to receive the VidFIRE process.[5] It was released on DVD in Region 2 on 20 August 2012.[6]
References
- ^ The episode is undated, though its general appearance is consistent with the year of transmission.
- ^ Howe, David J.; Stammers, Mark; Walker, Stephen James (1994). Doctor Who The Handbook - The First Doctor. London: Doctor Who Books. pp. 178–9. ISBN 0-426-20430-1.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - ^ Sullivan, Shannon. "Mission to the Unknown (aka. Dalek Cutaway)". A Brief History of Time (Travel). Retrieved 24 April 2007.
- ^ http://news.drwho-online.co.uk/Planet-of-Giants-DVD-Cover-and-Details.aspx
- ^ Roberts, Steve. "VidFIRE". The Doctor Who Restoration Team Website. Retrieved 24 April 2007.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2012/05/dwn030512103008-dvd-update-summer.html
External links
- Planet of Giants at BBC Online
- Template:Brief
- Template:Doctor Who RG
- Planet of Giants on Tardis Wiki, the Doctor Who Wiki
Reviews
- Planet of Giants reviews at Outpost Gallifrey
- Template:DWRG